Pixies hit the Paramount on February 18th, and brought Best Coast along as openers – that’s a great double bill. Last year they released an EP with all new music, and while some nifty bundles including hoodies are sold out, the music is still wonderfully available! Next for the band are many, many dates in South America and Europe. Thank you to Monica Martinez for the photos from the Seattle appearance:
Pixies
Best Coast
On February 15th Showbox at the Market hosted the annual PUSAFEST, an event Presidents of the United States holds every Presidents’ Day right here in Seattle. PUSA, still keeping things fresh, have created yet another great album with Kudos to You!. Thank you to PUSA for letting us cover this awesome party again! Openers were Seattle’s Motopony and Connecticut’s You Scream I Scream – nice job. All photos by Dan Rogers:
Presidents of the United States of America
Motopony
You Scream I Scream
Showbox at the Market Marquee
Noah Gundersen, Silver Torches & Armon Jay @ the Neptune, 2/15/14
Show Review & Photos by Abby Williamson
Noah Gundersen
There are a few of Seattle’s musicians that are so obscenely underrated that it almost makes me angry. Almost. Noah Gundersen is one of those musicians. On February 15th, he played to a sold-out Neptune Theatre for the release of his first full-length album, Ledges, as a solo act. Ledges, is a beautiful piece of art that you all need
to go out and buy right now, okay? Opening the show was Armon Jay, a Tennessee native (who also performed with Noah later during his set). His songs were overwhelmingly heartfelt and vulnerable, with an earnestness about his voice comparable to Conor Oberst. My only complaint is that we only got to see him play four songs. But I bought his album, Everything’s Different, Nothing’s Changed, later at the merch table. That’s also something you should purchase.
Armon Jay
After Armon Jay’s little set, Seattle locals Silver Torches (joined by the Lonely Forest’s John Van Deusen) took the stage. Silver Torches is a relatively new venture for frontman Erik Walters, formerly of The Globes. The last time I saw Silver Torches they were headlining a show at the Tractor, so this huge crowd at the Neptune was certainly an upgrade. And it worked to their advantage too, since so much of the crowd was fellow local musicians, it just warmed up the room. The debut from Silver Torches is definitely a departure from the complex loud math rock of The Globes, but it put Walters’ relatively understated and sweet voice much more at the forefront. Their album cover also features a golden retriever giving you the stink eye, so there’s one more reason you should buy that one, too.
Silver Torches
Then, after a short interlude, Noah took to the stage, accompanied by friends and family. That family is certainly an impressive one. Seriously, when you look at the liner notes, the featured players on Ledges are Noah Gundersen, Abby Gundersen, Jonathan Gundersen, and Elizabeth Gundersen. On the stage that night it was a family affair with Noah joined by Abby and Johnny. The show started with “Poor Man’s Son,” which is pretty much tradition at this point. I’ve seen so many Noah Gundersen shows that if he doesn’t start with that song it’s startling. It’s the reason they opened the album with it. Did I mention that Ledges was recorded in Studio Litho, Stone Gossard’s studio? Yeah, I’m envious too. Noah played most of the songs off Ledges, as well as some old favorites like “Jesus, Jesus,” “David,” and “Fire,” the last of which was made even more epic with Armon Jay on electric guitar.
To say that Noah’s songs are somber would be an understatement. Most of them make you want to cry, but that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes you need a good cry. Particularly the painfully confessional “Dying Now” and “First Defeat” made me hang my head in case I couldn’t help myself. But Noah did break the mood a bit when – after an instrumental interlude after some song – he started in on the lyrics “cause you’re a good girl and you know it, you act so different around me.” Yes, Noah Gundersen flawlessly transitioned into a cover of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Goin’ Home.” Naturally, everyone sang along.
As a perfect parallel to the album, Noah closed the show with “Time Moves Quickly,” with Abby on piano. You really couldn’t find a better pair of voices together in this town. Noah’s songs already carry so much authority, but with Abby’s sweet harmonies, they become magical. I fear that I’ve been using the word magical too often, but what can I say? When you’ve got a town full of this many great musicians, magic is just a daily occurrence.
Noah Gundersen
Silver Torches
Armon Jay
Little Hurricane blew into town for a Valentine’s Day show at the Moore Theatre. The duo consists of Tone Catalano on guitar and keys and former model CC Spina on drums. In support of their new album Gold Fever, they are on tour with John Butler Trio.
Little Hurricane
Pentatonix @ the Paramount, 2/20/14
Show Review & Photos by Abby Williamson
Pentatonix
A few years ago if you would have told me that a five-piece a cappella group would sell out the Paramount Theatre, I would have slapped you and called you a liar.
Okay maybe not that harsh, but you get what I’m saying. But Pentatonix is not just any a cappella group. Having started out as a three-piece that met in high school,
Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, and Mitch Grassi added bass Avi Kaplan and beatboxer (and cellist) Kevin Olusola to the mix, these kids have virtually blown
up the last few years. After winning NBC’s all vocal competition The Sing-Off(by a landslide, by the way), they’ve garnered millions of views on their YouTube covers.
But seeing them perform these songs live is another experience all together. Relying just on their voices, harmonies, undeniable rhythm and each other they filled
the theater like nothing I’ve seen before. I saw them perform last year at Showbox at the Market, the Paramount is certainly an upgrade from the Pike Place club.
Starting the show with their wildly catchy medley of Daft Punk, it set the stage for what was going to be the most energetic show I’ve seen all year. We were graced
with some of the classic Pentatonix hits, like “Video Killed the Radio Star” and Katy Perry’s “E.T.,” as well as the entire evolution of Beyonce, two Macklemore hits, and an original song by Kevin, where he beatboxed and played the cello at once. And just like the last time they played Seattle, Pentatonix brought a girl up on stage and serenaded her with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” all the while dancing around her chair, sprawling out across her lap, and other blush-inducing goodness.
One of the great things about Pentatonix is that they highlight each member’s superhuman talents, like Avi’s ability to sing two notes at once, or “Mongolian
overtones.” The entire crowd was so silent that we could hear these tones coming from the ether of Avi’s phantom lungs. I was already impressed with Avi’s ability
to make the floor vibrate with just his voice, but hot damn he can sing two notes at once.
There were some original songs as well, like “Natural Disaster,” and the beautiful and earnest ballad “Run To You,” which prompted an audience member to shout
from the balcony, “I’ll run to you Avi!”. It was lovely and left me speechless. You can check out the video embedded below, and keep in mind – this music is all coming from the vocal chords. There’s something unbelievably mesmerizing in listening just to the human voice and getting the same chills and feelings that you would from an epic guitar solo.
Plus, you won’t get Mongolian overtones at any old concert.
Pentatonix